MAHP applauds Gov. Whitmer for signing legislation that will increase competition and affordability of health care

LANSING, MI – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 447 into law, which will allow employers to gain access to their sponsored health care claims and utilization data to seek additional healthcare options for their employees.

The American Medical Association (AMA) ranked Michigan as the 2nd least competitive state for health insurance this year. The lack of competition has contributed to employers in Michigan having high health insurance premiums.

“Michigan Association of Health Plan members are declining to quote nearly half of the bid opportunities they receive because employers today do not have enough information about their prior claims and utilization,” said Dominick Pallone, executive director of MAHP. “When employers shop for health care insurance, they aren’t shopping effectively because they’re not armed with the data.”

The new law allows employers to request confidential information on claim and utilization data from their current health plan so they can be more informed about costs and trends and informed when shopping for future coverage for their respective employees.

“MAHP commends Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for signing Senate Bill 447 into law. Currently, Michigan is one of the least competitive states for health care coverage in the nation, with Blue Cross Blue Shield holding 77 percent of the commercial employer sponsored market share,” stated Pallone. “If we can increase competition in this state, we can contain health care costs and improve quality of care.”

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